Rodden v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW)

Case [2023] NSWCA 196


Court of Appeal


Supreme Court


New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Rodden v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2023] NSWCA 196
Hearing dates: 9 August 2023
Date of orders: 21 August 2023
Decision date: 21 August 2023
Before: Bell CJ; Leeming JA; Beech-Jones JA
Decision:

(1)     Application by the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales to be joined as an application or, in the alternative, to intervene, refused.

(2)      Amended Summons dismissed.

(3)      No order as to costs.

Catchwords:

COURTS AND JUDGES — Supreme Court — Supervisory jurisdiction — availability of judicial review — no issues of principle

Legislation Cited:

Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 (NSW) s 2

Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) s 5F

Cases Cited:

Rodden v R [2023] NSWCCA 202

Category:Principal judgment
Parties: Simon Rodden (Applicant)
Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (First Respondent)
Supreme Court of New South Wales (Second Respondent)
Representation:

Counsel:

J Stratton SC with T O’Rourke (Applicant)
D Kell SC with E Jones (First Respondent)

Solicitors:

O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors (Applicant)
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (First Respondent)
File Number(s): 2023/00109813
Publication restriction: Nil
 Decision under appeal 
Court or tribunal:
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Jurisdiction:
Common Law
Citation:

[2022] NSWSC 1230

Date of Decision:
16 September 2022
Before:
Fagan J
File Number(s):
2019/00181340

JUDGMENT

THE COURT:

  1. This application for judicial review of a decision to refuse to grant a certificate pursuant to s 2 of the Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 (NSW) was heard concurrently with proceedings 2019/00181340 (the s 5F proceedings), being an application for leave to appeal pursuant to s 5F of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW).

  2. In both proceedings, the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales (the Commission) sought to be joined as a second applicant or, in the alternative, sought leave to intervene. The application to be joined was not ultimately opposed. The Commission also sought to file a Further Amended Summons in these proceedings if joined as a party.

  3. For reasons which appear sufficiently from our decision in the s 5F proceedings (Rodden v R [2023] NSWCCA 202), Mr Rodden’s Amended Summons for judicial review must be dismissed and there would be no utility in joining the Commission to these proceedings or giving it leave to intervene.

  4. Accordingly in these proceedings, the orders of the Court are:

  1. Application by the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales to be joined as an applicant or, in the alternative, to intervene, refused.

  2. Amended Summons dismissed.

  3. No order as to costs.

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Details
AGLC
Rodden v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2023] NSWCA 196
Case
[2023] NSWCA 196
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The applicant, Rodden, sought judicial review of a decision made by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in New South Wales. The Supreme Court of New South Wales, comprising Bell CJ, Leeming and Beech-Jones JJA, considered the availability of judicial review in this matter.

The central legal issue before the Court was whether the applicant was entitled to judicial review of the DPP's decision. This involved determining whether the decision was amenable to such review, particularly in the absence of any identified issues of principle.

The Court reasoned that the DPP's decision was not amenable to judicial review. The Court applied the principle that judicial review is generally concerned with the legality of a decision-making process, not the merits of the decision itself. In this instance, no error of law or jurisdictional error was demonstrated, and the Court found no basis to interfere with the DPP's exercise of discretion.

Consequently, the Court refused the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales' application to be joined or to intervene. The amended summons was dismissed, and no order was made as to costs.

Orders

Orders of the court

(1) Application by the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales to be joined as an application or, in the alternative, to intervene, refused.

(2) Amended Summons dismissed.

(3) No order as to costs.

Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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